Cyclone Vardah: Chennai worst hit, limps back to normalcy

Chennai is picking itself up on Tuesday after Cyclone Vardah battered the Tamil Nadu coast on Monday, killing 10 people and forcing thousands to flee their homes.

People in the residential localities after being awed by the damage caused by the cyclone started cleaning their compound of fallen trees, leaves and other muck that was blown by the cyclonic winds.

I last December the city’s roads were inundated in a sudden massive downpour, this time Chennai’s green cover was flattened by the sharp winds that slapped the city.

The 159 tree-cutting machines and 650 motor pumps to drain out the water weren’t enough as none anticipated the winds would pummel trees on almost every road.

Flight operations that were suspended at the Chennai airport on Monday, resumed this morning, airport officials confirmed. Suburban train services remained suspended.

At the spot where former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa was buried at the Marina beach, the canopy remained intact despite the cyclonic winds. Several sand bags were lined up surrounding the burial spot to prevent flooding.